Challengers 16, Eagles 12

The Challengers NLB team rallied for four runs in the 3rd and five runs in the 4th to win their season opener against the Reussbühl Eagles.

Tobias Siegrist>

Rookie Tobias Siegrist collected four hits, two of them doubles, and five RBI's.

The Challengers went ahead 2-0, but the Eagles scored five in the top of the 2nd as they sent 10 batters to the plate. After four consecutive hits that scored four runs, starter Oliver Labhart struck out the last batter to get out of the inning.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the rookie, who last year was on the Juniors' Swiss Championship team. He allowed just four more hits and two runs in the next five innings.

Harry Bregy relieved Labhart, but quickly surrendered a walk and three consecutive hits that trimmed the Challengers' lead to 15-10.

After being ejected in the top of the eighth for a hard slide into the third baseman, Bregy was relieved by Nicki Lehmann, who made short work and struck out the side by facing the minimum of three batters.

Rookie Tobias Siegrist led all Challengers by going 4-for-6 at the plate and collecting six RBI along the way. Labhart had three hits in six at-bats and Thomas Blank went 3-for-5.

The Eagles were very generous on that day as they committed 12 errors that led to 10 unearned runs. But the Challengers almost missed on all that chances as six runners were caught stealing, three of them at home plate.